According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (AZDOT), in 2017, there were a total of 226 pedestrians killed in our state with an additional 1,510 pedestrians injured. The figures show that Arizona has one of the highest rates of pedestrian-involved crashes in the United States and the numbers are continuing to rise with Phoenix having the highest concentration of pedestrian deaths in the state.
Another pedestrian death happened in Phoenix late last month on the night of Tuesday, April 23rd. AZCentral reported on their website that a 60 –year-old woman was struck and killed by a van as she crossed East Thomas Road near 27th Street.
The Phoenix Police Department has identified the woman as Hewlett Epperson. Investigators say that Epperson was crossing the street in the 2700 block of East Thomas Road when she was hit by a 2012 van that was traveling eastbound.
Epperson was rushed to the hospital for treatment where she later died as the result of injuries she sustained in the crash.
The driver of the van, a 36-year-old man, stayed at the scene of the crash. The driver told police that he had been unable to stop in time to avoid hitting Epperson. Authorities determined that neither speed nor impairment played any role in the fatal crash.
A spokesperson for the Phoenix Police Department said that the accident is still currently under investigation.
